Water overflow and steam



Dec. 4- 1,517,796

w. H. MUZZY WATER OVERFLOW AND STEAM INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 18, 1923 m|||||||m| 5 A 5.9 g F J y gz za z iizaaqq I if a 2 1 m 4 u E I y".-.. 49 a i mg i g a V l 4 i I \Illlllll r :2, a; J

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. MUZZY, 0F EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

WATER OVERFLOW AND STEAM INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed .Tune 18, 1923. Serial No. 646,197.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MUZZY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in ater Overflow and Steam Indicators for Automobiles, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in overflow and steam indicators for the radiators of automobiles and has more particular relation to improvements in such devices as bring the overflow into the sight of the operator. I

The object of the invention is to provide a glass enclosure connected to the'interior of the radiator and through which the overflow from the radiator takes place and to; provide this devlce with a movable impact indicator for indlcatmg the dlscharge of of which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, the figure represents a broken side elevation, partly in sec" tion, of the upper portion of an automobile radiator with my in'iprovements applied thereto.

The present invention is an improvement on my pending applications for Patent Nos. 532,368 and 627,507, filed respectively Jan. 28th, 1922, and Mar. 24th, 1923.

Described in general terms the present invention may be said to comprise a glass dome mounted on the radiator cap and connected through the cap with the interior of the radiator, an overflow from the dome be ing provided and the regular overflow obstructed. Theportion of the overflow pipe extending into the glass dome is provided with a movable obstruction which is forced upward and a supported by the escaping water or steam within sight of the operator while the escaping water and steam are discharged at the bottom of the radiator and fall to the ground without discoloring the machine.

The radiator proper 5 is provided with theusual neck portion 38 through which the radiator is filled with Water, alcohol or other mixture. This neck is closed water tight by a screw cap 1 seated on a washer 16. The usual overflow pipe 3 is closed by a cedar plug 4, which when wet, swells and closes the radiator water and steam tight.

The cup shaped base 12 of the dome is provided with a rigid pipe 32 having its lower end screw threaded as at 17 to receive the locking nut 35, washers 15 and 34 being interposed between the nut and the cap and the base and the cap to secure a steam and water tight joint and secure the dome base firmly to the top of the cap 1. The pipe 32 passes through the usual aperture formed in the top of the radiator cap. By this means any overflow from the radiator and any steam escaping from it must pass through the pipe 32 and into the glass dome 11. This dome. is secured in position on the base 12 by three vertical screw rods 10, the heads of the screws being seated in the top of the cap 9 which rests upon a cork washer 39, this in turn resting upon the upper edge of the cylindrical dome 11. The lower edge of the dome rests upon a similar washer 33. The dome is drawn down tight in position by the screws 10 which screw into screw threaded apertures or recesses formed in the base 12.

The upper discharge end of the pipe :32 projects into the centre of the dome and supports a pipe obstructing plate 29 mounted on the upper end of a pipe 30. This short pipe 30 extends downward into the pipe 32 but is of considerable less diameter than the inside of the latter pipe to leave space for the passage of water and steam. Apertures 31 are drilled through the walls of the pipe 30 to cause water and steam to discharge laterally from the interior of the pipe 30 when the latter is raised to bring the apertures above the upper end of the pipe 32. This raising of the pipe 30 is caused by the water or steam escaping through the pipe 32 forcing the pipe 30 upward. Three elements receive impact, pressure or skin friction to accomplish this result, the obstructing plate 29, the sides of the pipe 30 and the interior of the pipe 30.

The large red indicator 28 of glass or china is mounted on top of the plate 29 and can be clearly seen at all times through the glass dome 11. This is made of glass, china or other similar material to prevent any accumulation of dirt thereon and to resist the action of the hot water and steam to which it is continually subjected.

The lateral passages 31 in the tube 30 cause the tube to rise in order to relieve the pressure until these apertures reach a position above the upper end of the pipe 32 when the pressure is relieved by the water or steam passing freely through the pipe 30 and out of the apertures in lateral jets which may be clearly seen by the operator. This condition may be also seen by noting the position of the red indicating marble 28 in the upper part of the dome.

A slight overflow such as takes place when all radiators are refilled and the water then heated and expanded, will only force the plate 29 upward sufficiently to pass slowly out of the upper end of the pipe 32 and will practically not elevate the indicator 28 at all but should the water become unduly heated a rapid expansion and formation of steam will take place with a consequent rapid rise of the water in the radiator. As this water has no other avenue of escape it passes rapidly up the pipe and by its rapidity of movement and the impact and pressure it exerts forces the pipe 30 upward. When the apertures 31 reach a position above the upper end of the pipe 32 the indicator will ordinarily come to rest supported in this position but should the overheating be excessive the apertures 31 will not altogether relieve it and the pipe 30 will be forced to the upper limit of its movement which will of course indicate a serious condition. The indicator 28 contacts with the part 27 to limit its upward movement and when the indi *a'tor is in this up per position the lower end of the pipe 210 only projects slightly into the pipe 32. The skin friction of the water or steam passing upward between the pipes 32 and 30 isgreah est when the pipe 30 isdown in its lower position and least when. this pipe is in its upper position. The result of this operation is a gradual decrease of the resistance to the escape of water or steam as the indicator rises.

The present devices do not indicate temperature but do indicate the very much more important condition of overflow ofthewater followed by the escape of steam.

If the indicator 28 is in an elevated position and the operator can see water escaping in the dome 11 he is informed that there is still considerable water in the radiator but that something is causing overheating.

If the indicator 28 is in an elevated position and the operator can see no water escaping into the drum or dome he is thus informed that the water in the rediator is very low and that an overheating condition is present. This last is the extreme danger signal. The escaping steam in the dome cannot be seen but as it impinges on the walls of the dome because of the lateral jets through the apertures 31, it condenses partially and causes rings of water to cling to the inner walls.

The base 12 is provided with an outlet screw threaded nipple 13 to which is attached a coupling 14. This coupling is connected to an elbow 1.0.

The discharge pipe 19 is provided at its upper end with a screw threaded enlargement 18 arranged to screw on the elbow 40, thumb wings being form-ed on the enlargement to assist in this operation. This enables the pipe to be detached and again attached without the use of tools when it is desired to refill the radiator with water.

The pipe 19 extends to a position even with the lower edge of the radiator and is held firmly in positionby a ring 21 which surrounds it and carries a screw stud 21. This stud is secured to the cross lamp bar 22 of the machine by two clamp plates 23 which are held on the stud 24 and clampedin position by a nut 25 and an adjustable thumb nut 26.

All of the above dese-ribeddevices are of such a nature that they may be applied to nearly all makes of machines without any machine work or cutting or fitting as they attach to parts which are common toall machines.

These devices are particularly desirable on machines which are used both summer and winter as the difference in the boiling points of the mixtures used in the radiators during different seasons makes it next to impossible to detect an overflow and steam condition by a temperature indicator alone and still run the motor at its maximum proper heat.

1th the present devices the operator is informed just when a water sohlt-ion starts to overflow from overheating. He is also informed just when an alcohol solution starts to overflow or steam. As these points are different in temperature readings and as the alcohol mixture is never just the same in a radiator for two consecutive days, it will be seen that by temperature alone he cannot know as to overflow or steam loss of water and alcohol solutions.

The water in radiators in automobiles be comes filled with particles of rust which are discharged with the water into the glass dome 11. These are ordinarily washed off of the smooth glass by the hot water jets and the dome thus kept clean and transparent so that the indicator 28 may be clearly seen as well as the water discharge. Should con.-

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tinual use foul it however, it may be instantly cleaned without taking the dome off by rotating the thumb nut 6 which is mounted in the top 9 and is provided with a taper valve 8 which draws onto its seat in the under face of the top by a coil spring 7 interposed between the nut 6 and the top. The valve 8 carries an arm 27 which supports a vertical clamp 36 to which is attached a strip of felt or other suitable porous cleaning material. The clamp 36 forces with. a spring action toward the glass and causes the wet felt 37 to brush or wipe the dirt from the glass, the hot water from the pipe 32 completing the operation. It will of course be understood that this cleaner may be omitted and the dome removed for cleaning when desired.

After the thumb nut 18 is unscrewed the pipe 19 drops until a stud 20 mounted thereon contacts with the top of the sleeve 21. This holds the pipe in position ready to be instantly attached again after the radiator is filled.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automobile the combination with an engine and its water cooling system including a radiator, of a glass chamber connected to the radiator and having a discharge so that the overflow or steam must pass therethrough, and an indicator within the chamber for indicating the discharge of either water or steam.

2. In an automobile the combination with an engine and its water cooling system including a radiator, of a glass chamber connected to the radiator and having a discharge so that the overflow or steam must pass therethrough, and a mechanically movable indicator within the chamber for indicating the discharge of either water or steam.

3. In an automobile the combination with an engine and its water cooling system ineluding a radiator, of a glass chamber connected to the radiator and having a discharge so that the overflow or steam must pass therethrough, a vertical discharge pipe discharging from the radiator into the chamber and a vertically movable indicator mounted loosely in the vertical pipe so as to be moved by the discharge therethrough.

4. The combination with an automobile radiator, of a cap for the same, a glass dome mounted on the cap and communicating with the interior of the radiator and forming the only discharge from the radiator, a detachable discharge pipe connected to the dome, and means within the dome for indicating the discharge of either water or steam.

5. The combination with an automobile radiator, of a cap for the same, a glass dome mounted on the cap, a discharge pipe passing through the cap and ending in the dome, a movable water and steam indicator mounted in the pipe, and a discharge pipe for the dome.

6. The combination with an automobile radiator, of a cap for the same, a glass dome mounted on the cap, a discharge pipe passing through the cap and ending in the dome, a loose vertically movable pipe mounted in the first pipe and having lateral apertures which are uncovered when the pipe is forced upward, and a discharge pipe for the dome.

7. The combination with an automobile radiator, of a cap for the same, a glass dome mounted on the cap, a pipe passing through the cap and ending in the dome, an obstruction closing the pipe and forced upward by escaping Water or steam, an indicator mounted on the obstruction, and a discharge pipe for the dome.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. MUZZY.

Witnesses:

MABEL H. MUZZY, M. I. MUzzY. 

